[Review] Naim CD5 and Flatcap 2

Naim CD5 and Flatcap 2

So as not to disappoint my fans , I won’t keep them waiting:

(a) the CD5 is a nice player, but sounds no better than any other;
(b) the addition of the outboard Flatcap 2 power supply makes precisely no difference as to how the thing sounds.

So, you might ask, what am I doing mucking around with Naim? (On the other hand, you might not, but let’s assume that you might). Well, I like to try these things. I had not the slightest doubt that Naim would not sound any different from any other high-quality CD player, but I like to verify such things, plus nobody can say, “Aha, but you haven’t tried it!” They can, of course, continue to say, “You’re deaf/you’re lacking in perception/the rest of your equipment is lousy/you need new speaker cables/etc., etc., etc”, but I can’t (or won’t) do anything about those. So, for those who, like me, know little of Naim and are interested in hearing about a bumbling incompetent’s voyage of discovery, read on…

This all happened by accident. A few weeks ago, I happened to be near the Basel Linn/Naim dealer and dropped in to say hello (he’d sold me my Keilidhs and LP12). Seeing Naim CD players there, I asked about them. Much more musical than Linn CD players, he assured me – full of GRuz, I guess (Geschwindigkeit, Rhythmus und zeitliche Regulierung, nearest I can get in German to PRaT (Markus?)). Must try one some time, I said. The following week, he rang. Someone had just traded in a near-new CD5, would I be interested in trying it out? I said I would, so I picked up the CD5 and Flatcap2 power supply (he insisted I had to try this when I expressed scepticism as to this means of upgrade).

The two Naims are low, handsome (to my eyes) identically-sized black boxes. One odd feature is that all the connection sockets wobble around. Apparently Naim mounts its circuit boards and the sockets on a sort of suspension. The sockets are screw-on DIN-type sockets - none of your cheap and nasty phono plugs, thank you very much. A double-ended DIN lead joins Flatcap or other Naim PSU to CD5. Now the odd (to me) thing is that the CD player still needs a power lead to run the digital side of things. As a result, someone with the full Naim package must have more wires than the average electricity sub-station.

Anyway, the CD5 has three contact sockets, one being the line out, one providing the connection to the PSU and the third being something called a “Link”, purpose unknown. When there is no external PSU (and therefore no lead attached), there is fitted into the “link” socket a plastic plug that has a shield that extends across the PSU socket. It appears that either the PSU connector or the shield must be in place, or the CD5 won’t work. I nearly had heart failure when swapping over from PSU to no PSU; I thought I’d bust the thing.

When the player and PSU are fired up, the Naim logos glow rather greenly and attractively, the way my Quad pre-amps do. The power switch is round the back, which makes you wonder whether this is to quietly encourage you to leave it switched on (“powered up” in audiophool language) all the time. And before you ask, no, I didn’t observe the sound to change with time.

And then there’s That Drawer. Not for Naim the automated life of ease – a manual drawer that is arc-shaped, contains the laser mechanism and swings out in an arc. And there’s a magnetic puck to hold the CD in place (presumably the magnetisation of CDs is not a concern of Naim’s). Anyway, the drawer feels nicely made and operates nicely and the use of the puck is no problem. The remote control is small and neat and easy to operate.

So, all in all, a very nice player. But how did it sound? Also very nice. However, it did NOT sound any better (or indeed, to my ears, noticeably different) from anything else. I put it up against my Meridian 588 and my ten year-old Linn Mimik. I gave it the Still Tones Water Music test, of course, and then tried lots of other things. "Wow!" I'd say, "this Naim sounds really good! Really lively! Really bright! Really musical!" - and then realise that it was the Mimik or Meridian playing. So, where was this PRaT thing, which is the fame of Naim? If it were there (and not a figment of too many overheated imaginations), then the other players also had it. They all sounded very good. I had a very pleasant musical evening, swapping favourite pieces from one player to another.

Part of the Naim concept is the upgrading by using better power supplies. To me, this has always begged the question as to why Naim simply couldn’t have put a half-decent one in there in the first place and have done, and it always smacked slightly of a clever means of separating the fans of the marque from their money. So, did the Flatcap make a difference? In a word, yes – there were twice as many glowing Naim logos on show. But nothing else. Not any performance gain that I could hear. Devoted Naimees are often somewhat unkindly referred to as “sheep”. In this case, it would appear that they have had the wool pulled over their their eyes.

In conclusion, a nice player, but in no way exceptional. The statement, on the Naim website, that

Music played on a Naim CD player gains new vitality, transparency and clarity. It all but breathes

is shown for the nonsensical hyperbole it is. But then, to paraphrase the immortal words of Mandy Rice-Davies, they would, wouldn’t they? It’s like Linn’s nonsensical “pitch-accurate” (has anyone ever heard any bit of hi-fi other than a malfunctioning turntable that wasn’t pitch-accurate?) Hyperbole is regrettably the name of the game these days.

It seems to show that high-quality CD players all sound alike. To me, that isn’t at all surprising. Would a super-dooper one be better, such as a Naim CDX2 or a CDS3? (We’ll ignore the absurdity of the new überplayer that requires a second mortgage)? I somehow doubt it. Wonder whether the dealer would let me try?

So, if you want a good-quality CD player, a lower Naim would seem to be as good a buy as any. And Naim does have that great service department – I think that only it and Quad’s can claim to be able to fix everything they ever made.

 

I'm with you on this one .....I was totally underwhelmed with the last naim cdp I heard. It also fell short in musical terms and fascilities with the Quad 99cdp which can be used as a digital pre a dac and of course CDP.

 

I too have a CD5 and FlatCap2. And a nait5 as well but right now they are turned off and I have swapped back to my old Arcam Alpha5+ CDP and Alpha6+ amp which must run at 40% new cost and about 5% of the cost now.

It pains me to say it but I think the Naim kit will be sold very soon as after 6 months of trying I must face facts and concede defeat - it seems I just don't like the Naim sound.

 

Seems like i will have to report back shortly, as im off to audio-t in brighton for a naim day, with the cd555 nap 500 nac 552 and a pair of dbls

 

I had a listen to both a CD5i and a CD5x some weeks ago, with and without the Flatcap. I too was pretty underwhelmed. Happy to see others with the same thoughts as I was beginning to think that maybe the rest of my kit wasn't up to it.

bit of a difference from the 5i to the 5x, but at the end of the day I'd still rate both of them as "good", nothing more. I was also told that the Flatcap is an excellent upgrade and I would immediately hear the difference - not me. It certainly wasn't what I would expect from a £2000 player+psu.

 

Well i must say the nap 500 nac 552 cd 555 dbl system was very good. One of the best cd systems i have heard.
They started the demo with the old power supply and then put the new one in. I must say it was a night and day thing. Unlike most people and flatcaps it seems.

The new interconnect they are selling seems like a good idea too, no mechanical connection between the components.

Over all though it does seem rather overpriced. But you are paying for 3 spare transports when you get the cd555

 

Whilst I wouldn't question your comments on whether the CD5 was good or not, I'm surprised that you didn't at least find it different in presentation to say your Meridian unit. I recently dem'd a Naim CDX2 and Meridian G07. Regardless of which was "better", they were certainly different.

 

Perhaps I really am as deaf as some folk say